I’m back after a long break from the social media world. I feel very refreshed now, and one thing that I’ve learned without social media was–that likes don’t define who you are!
During those introspection days, I usually spend my time creating illustrations for the fanfiction I was working on since 2016. I entitled it “Twin Souls”; a Hetalia: Axis Powers fanfiction that was inspired when the relationship between the Philippines (my country), and the United States soured.
I was only a college student when I wrote this project, and just like any creative person, I struggled to find the inspiration to continue it.
However, I was delighted that my fanfiction was gaining popularity on Wattpad, and some readers were sending me emails about how much they loved it! I’m not a brilliant writer (and not perfect in English grammar) but I’m a dedicated person! Whenever I have time, I will revise the chapter until I’m satisfied with my craft.
Here is the book cover of my story.
1) Sun and Moon symbolize how they are opposite from each other. 2) A quote from "Wuthering Heights" by Emily Bronte which I thought was perfect for these countries. 3) The snowy season for Russia and the Sunny season for the Philippines. 4) My ideal actor for Russia: is Alexey Vladimirovich Vorobyov. 5) Russian and the Philippines flag from google images. 5) My ideal actress for the Philippines: is Kathryn Bernardo. 6) Both countries have the same independence date. 6) The concept of "red string" from Tumblr. 7) A clock means there is a perfect time for everything.
This was the illustration I made and my first digital drawing. I didn’t own a stylus pen back then and using my fingers to draw was a pain! I’m planning to recreate an alternative drawing version this year to see how I’ve improved.
“There’s an invisible red string that is tied on the finger of two people since they were born. No matter how far they are from each other, it will bind them to be together. The cord can be stretched or tangled, but it will never break.”
Russia and the Philippines are my two favorite countries and in this visual art, you can see their differences. I illustrated Russia as a pale, cold, and tall country, while the Philippines was a tan, sunny, and small country. If you were wondering why I’ve added the concept of Red String, it was because these two countries had no interactions in the past. The Philippines used to be a colony of the USA, which explained why they had limited bilateral relations. Also, both countries are geographically far from each other. But last 2016, everything changed!
PH, Russia working on ‘legal acts’ to improve ties
The Philippines and Russia have agreed to speed up work on several pending legal acts and to focus on resolving specific issues so that Russian President Vladimir Putin can formally invite President Rodrigo Duterte to visit Russia next year
NEWS.MB.COM.PH
As the quote says, “No matter how far they are from each other, it will bind them to be together. The cord can be stretched or tangled, but it will never break.”
This is the second illustration, I was less happy about this than the first one but still proud of it. Hehe.
The two illustrations shown earlier were created in 2017 and after 3 years, I created new four ones and wrote small biographies about them.
Russia
Meet the main character #1, "Russia"!
Philippines
Meet the main character #2, "Philippines"! Fun fact: “De la Cruz” is the common surname of most Filipinos and “Carriedo” is her middle name even if it’s Spain’s human last name in the Hetalia series. For me, when the Philippines was finally free from her father’s clutches, she opted to change her last name instead.
USA
Meet the main character #3, "USA"!
Georgia
Meet the main character #4, "Georgia"! Fun fact: My online friend, “Anya” with whom I became friends in 2014, inspired Georgia. Sadly, things have changed and we never talk anymore. When I was writing this fanfic in 2017, she helped me develop Georgia’s character (because she’s a Georgian herself!). It was she who asked me to put the name “Tamar Eristavi” and her emerald eyes symbolize the Caucasus Mountains. The name “Tamar” was derived from a Georgian queen (Tamar the Great) and “Eristavi” literally means “head of the nation”.
Other photos that I made out of boredom, LOL.
RU x GE (as husband and wife)
US x PH (as siblings)
US x GE (as a romantic couple)
ES x PH (as a family)
CN x PH (as friend or foe?)
I hope that you've enjoyed my blog!
Disclaimer: Hetalia: Axis Powers is a property of Hidekaz Himaruya. It is a Japanese webcomic, later adapted as a manga and an anime series. The series’ main presentation is an often over-the-top allegory of political and historic events and more general cultural comparisons. The characters are personifications of countries. APHRussia and APHAmerica are not my properties, but I owned the APHPhilippines and APHGeorgia. I don’t intend to make a profit using Hiramuya’s characters.
Other photos that I made out of boredom, LOL.
